SUVs...

[Spinaroonie]

Congress recently extended a tex emeption to SUVs, continuing to make them affordable to many Americans.

They're reasoning? Over the next Five years, 5000 people could die if they didn't have their SUVs.

They didn't even bother to look at the fact that thousands of people could've been saved had it been a regular car or Truck instead of the Explorer that smashed their vehicle. An SUV bumper is higher so it tends to smash through an ordinary vehicle and killing a family of four without getting a scratch.

Also, is it me or is it that the Explorer drivers of the world, the SUV drivers are the most prone to road rage? Due to the higher frame of the car, they believe that they're king of the road and all of those camrys should bow down. I can't tell you how many SUV drivers have been cursing me for only driving 10 over posted limits. Yes, other people do tend to ride your ass no matter what the situation (90 miles over the limit on ice and they'll still call you a slowpoke. )

Is it a surge of power that comes with the wheel? Is there a brochure they give you called "Look out peons! I drive a Zaibatsu Monstrasity, get out of the way or you shall be crushed like scores before you!"

Maybe it's just the rich-bitch town I drive through.

The SUV is also not the world's best friend, with pitiful gas milage, the American SUV also keeps us under the thumb of Saudia Arabia, "So what if it gets three miles to the gallon! I'm a mom, not a coversvationist!"

And let's hope that that Mom there has had lessons, with a higher center of gravity, they tend to roll much easier.

Why are the bought? Space? Go to your local Cadallac dealer and try to fit 6 Adults into the Cadallac... Escalade isn't it? The Caddie SUV. It can't be done, the back seats are 'Children only' and a bitch to get into.
Are they bought for the All wheel drive? I've yet to see one covered in the dirt and mud from 4-wheeling.

They're bought so that they CAN run down the normal car driver!

Oh well... at least they're not all SUCKs... That SUV that turns into a Pick up truck (With no back window...)

 

[ExLimey]

I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought for the 4wd because I live in a city that gets 250 inches of snow a year and need it. I also got 22 mpg out of my last tank of gas.

HOWEVER, I will agree with you that some (okay most) SUV drivers believe they can walk on water (drive on ice). I usually just mutter "see you in the ditch" as they zoom by.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Wow! A responsible SUV owner with a use, a need for an SUV! Ho-ly shit! I never thought I'd see it

Anyways, they piss me off. If you wave at them they tend to curse you...

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[Spinaroonie]

I drive an SUV, a Ford Explorer. I happen to be a very cautious and courteous driver. In my entire life I've been in ONE accident and it was a dumb b-tch talking on the phone in a ECONOMY car that caused it by not paying attention.

I think you, then, for being an exception to my generalization.


I don't like spending so much on gas, but the size of my SUV is perfect for my needs. It's perfect for going up to the mountains and places a car might have problems getting to. When my son was born it was perfect to pack the stroller, the playpen, and every other item you need for babies when you're going on a road trip. Now it's perfect to put the bike in the back and go whereever.

WIthout the mountain climbing ability, wouldn't a regular, large car be suitable? (Granted, I haven't had kids, so I don't know much about what you need to take along) I'm glad to see that you use the 4wd for more things than pretending to drive a monster truck

It's the drivers PERIOD. It's not the automobile. Don't stereotype every asshole driver--they drive smaller cars and trucks, as well as SUVs... Some of us prefer the secure feeling of being a little higher, true. We also like knowing that we stand a better chance of surviving should someone run into us. I feel safer knowing my child has a little more of a buffer between his carseat and any car that could potentially impact us.

Yes, but for some reason, the bad drivers have been migrating to the things. Perhaps due to the intimidation factor. Do you like the idea that your safety may be what kills other people? Granted, I know you have your child to worry about, but what if you, should have the accident? Yes, you may be cautious, but it's entirely within the realm of possibilities... You wear your seatbelt even tho' you don't plan on wrecking. (BTW, not enough people do that)

Don't blame every SUV owner, that would be as bad as me thinking that all college student are naive punks who talk out their ass because they have REAL LIFE experience with which to base their opinions other than it's what's talked about on the news, in the student union or what their mommy and daddy taught them. It's wrong.

Is that a shot at me?

 

[Moridin187]

I live in the middle of about four ski resorts in Vermont, so we get plenty of people from down south, who never drive in the snow or ice who come up here in their SUVs. People who aren't experienced with snow and ice driving seem to think that a four-wheel drive makes driving on ice the same as regular asphalt. Not a day goes by in the winter without some kind of accident, four out of five involving an SUV.

 

[Azwed]

Azwed begins car rant. Sorry if it is long.



I used to have a Jeep Cherokee. It got totaled a few years ago in a truly horendus wreck. I ran off the road, still not really sure why I don't remember most of the accident, and hit a guys driveway. The driveway acted like a ramp launching me several feet in the air and fleeping the Jeep upside down. I hit three trees and then landed upside down on the roof of the truck.

I woke up after being unconscious for about a minute. I crawled out the back of my jeep and was completly unhurt except for a large gash on my forehead.


I still have the pictures of the wrecked car around here. I might scan them in one day and upload them.

Jeeps are for the most part the expetion to the safety of SUV's. All of the jeeps are built using a unibody except for the wrangler but the wrangler has a very nice factory rollcage to make up for that. A unibody is much better at holding up in a wreck then the traditional body on frame design. Most other midsized and larger SUV's use the body on frame design. This is not nearly as safe as a unibody.

Many of those big SUV's do horrible on crash tests because they body on frame design is just bad in a wreck. There are huge weak points where the body meets the frame and those cause problems. The explorer is body on frame. It is a horribly designed vehicle. Just about ever domestic SUV is body on frame. The Ford Escape is not, but I think that is the only one. The Honda CRV and Toyota Rav4 are both unibody designs since they are just jacked up Civics and Corollas.

Another large problem with SUV's is that most of them don't have side impact door beams. SUV's are almost exclusively based off of truck designs. That is the reason they use the body on frame structure. Trucks don't have to have side impact door beams like cars do.

In general you are ok becaues the SUV is higher off the ground and will not get hit directly in the door. However, if a Excursion, Suburban, Tahoe, Tundra or any other big tall SUV T-bones your SUV you are screwed. The door is not going to take that impact very well at all. The body is just going to collapse because the body mounts will shear off the frame and the door is not rigid enough to absorb the impact.

With a unibody design this is less of a problem because of the more sturdy and rigid structure. SUV's are not as safe as many people think. They can be more prone to rollovers, if people drive carelessly.

A normal frontwheel drive car, with snow tires, is actually safer and more sure footed in the snow then the average SUV. More and more SUV's are being equiped with different types of dynamic All wheel drive. Power is transfered from wheel to wheel depending on how much grip that wheel has.

I am trying to remember if that is better for snow or ice, but right now I am not sure. I think that dynamic AWD is supposed to be better in pure snow, but I am not sure. I will probably try and look it up later.

Another reason why SUV's can be unsafe is the snow is the false sense of confidence they give. People think because they have 4WD or AWD that they are invincible. They drive faster then they normaly would and lose control of the SUV. Many people rarely if ever activate the 4WD, so they don't know how to use it well. This just adds to the problems since a car in 4WD will sometimes handle differently then in 2WD. Unless the snow is very deep then you would probably be better off in a FWD car with snow tires.


Ends rant.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Another one to crush your stereotype

I drive a Suburban - yes, one of the biggest of the big. It's a completely practical car for my family. We have 4 kids (including my step-daughter who spends summers with us) and (at the time of buying it) 2 big dogs.

I didn't opt for 4 wheel drive though, as we were living in southern California when we got it.

I rarely go above the speed limit and am a very cautious and courteous driver.

I do feel safer in it. In fact, when I am a passenger in small cars now, I don't feel safe at all. I also feel like my ass is going to hit the ground.

True, SUVs generally are gas hogs, but since I am a stay at home mom, I only have to fill up about once every month or two.

Ruby

 

[Spinaroonie]

Azwed begins car rant. Sorry if it is long.

Ends rant.

Excellent info, Az. I feel enlightened to even MORE safety hazards to the things.

Do you have info on how they smash smaller cars?

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[JazzManJim]

In my area.

I live in the Washington DC area, which is not at all famed for it's record snowfalls. We do get one hell of a panic when it snows an inch, but that's another thread entirely.

What I've noticed, in my driving, is that many, many SUVs are being driven around my way as status symbols or as trend-chasing things. Those drivers tend to be, pretty much, maniacs. The ones who seem to use them for family (and it's not hard to tell which SUVs are family cars and which ones aren't) drive much better. The maniacs piss me off. They piss me off under normal circumstances, but in SUVs they piss me off more because they're driving a car that is inherently more dangerous to me in my Subaru Loyale.

However, they're child's play compared to young folks (teens and early 20's) in their brand new sports cars. Those kids are fatal accidents just driving around, looking for a victim.

 

[Guest]

I drive a '90 4runner that was orginally purchaced to drive in the oilfield. The FWD was essential at that time as it was nessary to get on to locations in any weather. It used to have a winch mounted on the front bumper to pull it through places that the FWD wouldn't let it drive across.

BTW it has door beams because I've had to replace the pasinger door twice when it was hit by idots driving first a Chevy and then a Caddy. Thought about painting a target on that door.

 

[Problem Child]

My favorite class of SUV


http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0PAAAAFMWF6SPZMHHQ4YLjOpNkPxZYfzfbYGkqfA4RzQZt2RxiSOJ0dXG0tPmD5ii6YnVQRTQoHK66rbW*ASr4LBdfPZCt8F5/m1platoon.jpg

 

[Samuari]

I drive a '90 4runner that was orginally purchaced to drive in the oilfield. The FWD was essential at that time as it was nessary to get on to locations in any weather. It used to have a winch mounted on the front bumper to pull it through places that the FWD wouldn't let it drive across.

BTW it has door beams because I've had to replace the pasinger door twice when it was hit by idots driving first a Chevy and then a Caddy. Thought about painting a target on that door.

That wa mine, not sure how that happened.

 

[Elizabeth]

I am in total agreement as far as the majority of SUV drivers. I see women who have NO idea how to drive them, going 70mph in freezing rain. 4 wheel drive driving is a learned thing and doing it in less than perfect road conditions isn't for the amature. I myself drive a 2000 Dodge Ram conversion van. I have 4 kids and I need the space. It's not what I would choose, had the situation been diffrent. My DH taught me to 4 wheel in his 74 Dodge Ramcharger. I will never drive that beast unless I really have to. Thank God, it's not what he drives daily.

For the most part, I think SUV's are a status symbol (i.e Esclades and Navagators) and I think alot of people don't have a clue as to how to handle them in bad weather. They have a higher center of gravity, thus the flipping. But there are bad drivers everywhere, driving everything. Azwed, that post was fantastic, great info. And you are right about the unibody construction, too bad more of them don't have it.

 

[IA951]

sd412, I'm with you man!
I HATE s-u-fucking-v's
I hate the small-dicked motherfuckers who drive them even more.

 

[Azwed]

That wa mine, not sure how that happened.

Just a little FYI. In car terms FWD stands for Front wheel drive.

4WD stands for four wheel drive. RWD stands for Rear wheel drive and AWD stands for all wheel drive. There is a big difference bettween AWD and 4WD.

You said the 4Runner was bought to drive around the oil fields. Was it originaly built for America or was it built to be imported for some other country?

It would not surprise me if the 4Runner did have side impact door beams though. Toyota has a history of making tough, dependable and safe trucks. Toyota's full size Tundra was the only full size pickup to pass the Insurance institutes front impact crash test. Ever other full size pickup either failed or did moderatly well. The Tundra uses the same body on frame design but is just engineered much better then the other trucks. Body on frame design has its advantages and disadvantages and it is generaly better to use body on frame for big trucks. Toyota just proved that you can use this design, but still keep it safe.

 

[Spinaroonie]

I am in total agreement as far as the majority of SUV drivers. I see women who have NO idea how to drive them, going 70mph in freezing rain.
For the most part, I think SUV's are a status symbol (i.e Esclades and Navagators) and I think alot of people don't have a clue as to how to handle them in bad weather. They have a higher center of gravity, thus the flipping. But there are bad drivers everywhere, driving everything. Azwed, that post was fantastic, great info.

Right, a status symbol that poses a threat to others. Yes, where I drive, most of the rich-bitch girls (heavy on the b ) get mustangs that sort of thing, but a few have SUVs... Good God. They barrel down 45, havily traifficked roads at 70,75 ON THEIR CELL PHONES! God, does blonde dye seep into the brain?

Oh, and with IA951 on my side, we now control the SUV opion of the Two lettered, three numbered literoticans! A powerhaus in the community!

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[Spinaroonie]

"bite me" (okay, so as a female it's not quite the proper thing to say, but I love the way it sounds)

You're entitled to that opinion


Why am I feeling this incredible urge to go buy a Hummer all of the sudden. I don't even like them but now I feel I *need* one. Where do you live again?

[/B]

Lol... I would buy the Hummer if they let you have the Machine gun. Actually near where I live there's a guy who drives a grey one and a guy who drives a red one. But the thing is, the HumVees are lower... They don't need a step ladder. They have the lower center of gravity and if you get the thing on the front the bumper's a bit better. Really a lot of SUVs are bigger than hummers. But a lot of them have better gas consumption... GOD those things are horrible! Fill up some coke bottles with gas to refuel on your way to work. Of course, they don't have power steering and DOORs are optional on the thing. Oh, and supposedly, from the people I've heard, that after twenty minutes, it gets hard to breathe in there, not much human space either.

Oh, however, the coolest thing I've seen is a stretch-Limo hummer. A whole lot lower than regular limos (sports-car low) and then it's absolutely PLUSH inside. Reallly modified. Very cool.

 

[freakygirl]

*bites tongue and leaves thread*

 

[Rubyfruit]

I hate the small-dicked motherfuckers who drive them even more.

I guess I do have a rather small dick. I never thought it was a problem before and I certainly never tried to compensate for it with my vehicle, but, it is small.

IA, you have some serious anger issues honey. You sound absolutely miserable! I feel for you, I really do. I can't imagine how miserable you must be. Get some help, ok?

Ruby

 

[Lasz]

SUV's I have noticed are typically owned by men who want to drive a truck because they have a family, have to drive an SUV. It sure as hell is much better then a minivan!!!

 

[Kaos_Star]

i will be getting a 2door Chevrolet Tracker soon, i really like the size, not to big, but big enough to haul the bigger things i might buy at walmart like a new computer desk, or a big fish tank.
i think that a tracker is a suv, i hope it is or i must look really dumb. oh well, c-ya later.

 

[registered "^^"]

SUV's are yuppy toys

The only true 4WD is based on a truck frame and is meant to be driven off road, not to the super market. I have driven 4WD pick ups all my adult life. Mainly out of neccessity, I worked in the construction field and many sites required true 4WD. Plus I have only driven over one small car, a VW beetle in the blizzard of 78.